Poinsettia plant named ‘PER508’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘PER508’, characterized by its compact, uniform, upright and mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely and upright branching habit; very dark green-colored leaves with sinuate margins that give the leaves a textured appearance; under natural season conditions, plants flower on or about December 5 in Southern California; large inflorescences with burgundy-colored flower bracts; and good post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Cultivar denomination: ‘PER508’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘PER508’.

The new Poinsettia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Encinitas, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to create new uniform Poinsettia plants having large inflorescences with attractive flower bracts and excellent post-production longevity.

The new Poinsettia plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Eckadire’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,846. The new Poinsettia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor from within a population of plants of the mutation parent in a controlled greenhouse environment in Encinitas, Calif. on Sep. 14, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Encinitas, Calif. since January, 2008 has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘PER508’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘PER508’ as a new and distinct Poinsettia plant:

-   -   1. Compact, uniform, upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely and upright branching habit.     -   4. Very dark green-colored leaves with sinuate margins that give         the leaves a textured appearance.     -   5. Under natural season conditions, plants flower on or about         December 5 in Southern California.     -   6. Large inflorescences with burgundy-colored flower bracts.     -   7. Good post-production longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the mutation parent, ‘Eckadire’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia are more compact and less         vigorous than plants of ‘Eckadire’.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia and ‘Eckadire’ differ in leaf         texture as plants of ‘Eckadire’ have smooth, not textured,         leaves.     -   3. Plants of the new Poinsettia and ‘Eckadire’ differ in flower         bract color as plants of ‘Eckadire’ have dark red-colored flower         bracts.     -   4. Plants of the new Poinsettia flower about five days later         than plants of ‘Eckadire’ when grown under natural season         conditions.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘490’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,825. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of ‘490’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more compact and less         vigorous than plants of ‘490’.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia had a more upright branching         habit than plants of ‘490’.     -   3. Plants of the new Poinsettia and ‘490’ differed in flower         bract color as plants of ‘490’ had dark red-colored flower         bracts.     -   4. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered about 17 days later         than plants of ‘490’ when grown under natural season conditions.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Eckanezka’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,192. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of ‘Eckanezka’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia and ‘Eckanezka’ differed in leaf         texture as plants of ‘Eckanezka’ had smooth, not textured,         leaves.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia and ‘Eckanezka’ differed in         flower bract color as plants of ‘Eckanezka’ had dark red-colored         flower bracts.     -   3. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered about 15 days later         than plants of ‘Eckanezka’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Poinsettia plant.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘PER508’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘PER508’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and in the following detailed description were grown during the late autumn/early winter in 16.5-cm containers in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Encinitas, Calif. and under natural season conditions and cultural practices typical of commercial Poinsettia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 25° C., night temperatures averaged 20° C. and light levels averaged 5,000 foot-candles. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were pinched one time and were 20 weeks old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘PER508’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Euphorbia     pulcherrima Willd. ‘Eckadire’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.     12,846. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About seven to ten days at night             temperatures about 20° C. and day temperatures about 27° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four weeks at             night temperatures about 20° C. and day temperatures about             27° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit and form.—Compact, uniform, upright and mounded             plant habit; inverted triangle; large inflorescences             positioned above the foliar plane; moderately vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 36 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 50 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity: Freely branching             habit, about nine lateral branches develop after pinching;             upright branching habit. Length: About 30 cm. Diameter:             About 7 mm. Internode length: About 2.6 cm. Strength:             Strong. Aspect: Initially upright to somewhat outwardly.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Luster: Glossy. Color: Close to             146A.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 13.6 cm. Width: About 8.2 cm. Shape: Broadly             lanceolate to elliptic with irregular rounded shallow lobes;             margins sinuate giving the leaves a textured appearance.             Apex: Acuminate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Mostly entire with             irregular shallow rounded lobes; sinuate. Aspect: Flat,             textured. Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Texture, upper             surface: Scattered pubescence. Texture, lower surface:             Slightly pubescent; prominent venation. Color: Developing             and fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Much darker green             than 139A (approaching black); venation, close to N137A.             Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to N137A; venation, close to midvein, close to 147C.             Petioles: Length: About 10.6 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Luster,             upper and lower surfaces: Glossy. Color, upper surface:             Close to 187A. Color, lower surface: Close to 199A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Terminal inflorescences are             compound corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts             subtending the cyathia; inflorescences uniformly positioned             above the foliar plane.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             typically flower on or about December 5 in Southern             California; under artificial long nyctoperiod/short             photoperiod conditions, plants flower about eight to nine             weeks later.         -   Post-production longevity.—Good post-production longevity;             plants of the new Poinsettia maintain good substance and             flower bract color for about four to six weeks under             interior conditions; flower bracts persistent and cyathia             not persistent.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 34 cm.         -   Inflorescence height (depth).—About 9.5 cm to 10 cm.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 18. Length,             largest bracts: About 14.5 cm. Width, largest bracts: About             11.6 cm. Shape: Broadly lanceolate to elliptical with             irregular rounded shallow lobes. Apex: Acuminate. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Mostly entire with irregular shallow             rounded lobes; slightly sinuate. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny; slightly rugose. Aspect:             Upright to horizontal and with development, drooping.             Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Color: Developing or             transitional bracts, upper surface: Close to 187C.             Developing or transitional bracts, lower surface: Close to             184B. Fully expanded bracts, upper surface: Close to 187B;             color does not fade with development. Fully expanded bracts,             lower surface: Close to 187D; color does not fade with             development. Bract petioles: Length: About 5.5 cm. Diameter:             About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 187B.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About 13. Length: About             1.2 cm. Width: About 5 mm. Shape: Oval. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, inner and outer surfaces: Close to 146A.         -   Nectaries.—Quantity per cyathium: One, occasionally two.             Length: About 4 mm. Width: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Roughly             elliptical to oval. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color, inner             and outer surfaces: Close to 169B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 146B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium: About             ten to twelve. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color:             Close to 187C. Anther shape: Round; bi-lobed. Anther length:             About 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 160A. Amount of pollen:             Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 14B. Pistils: Pistil             development has not been observed on plants of the new             Poinsettia.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production have not been             observed on plants of the new Poinsettia. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Poinsettia plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 16° C. to about     29° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Poinsettia plant named ‘PER508’ as illustrated and described. 